The Art of Thoughtful Gift Giving

Sending Valentine Flowers

Why You Should Send Valentine Flowers

For hundreds of years Valentine’s Day has been celebrated by lovers everywhere. Where did this tradition start anyway, and why do we exchange Valentine flowers, candies and cards with each other?

There are some interesting stories that go along with this tradition. Some of these stories may be true and others may be, well, just stories. Here is a short version of what may have really been the beginning of sending Valentine’s Day flowers on Valentine’s Day.

Why Was St. Valentine So Important?

About eight hundred years before Valentine’s Day was established, A man named Claudius was in power in Rome . He felt that marriage was a bad thing, because it made poor soldiers out of men. So, he banned marriage from his empire. St. Valentine did not agree with this rule, so he would secretly marry couples that came to him. St. Valentine was caught and soon after he was stoned and then beheaded.

Valentine Traditions

In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.

Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and live happily ever after. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a rich man.

No matter what is true and what is myth, Valentine’s Day has become increasingly commercialized and a popular gift-giving event. There are boundless Valentine’s Day themed advertisements encouraging spending on loved ones.

Valentine’s Day has become an especially big business for the flower, card, and candy companies. And, many of those companies do a major portion of their business on Valentine’s Day.

If you are a man and have a wife or girlfriend, and you let Valentine’s Day go by without getting her flowers or candy, your going to be in big trouble. So take my advice, and put some effort into your gift, too. A carefully chosen Valentine’s Day card will take you a long way. Take it from a woman who knows, however, Valentine’s Day flowers are still your best bet.

If you are lucky enough to have someone who loves you, then on Valentines’s Day show him or her how much they mean to you. Those who give Valentine’s Day flowers may be a big money making machine for the flower and card companies, but this day allows many the opportunity to show their loved ones how much they care. Valentine flowers makes it easier for everyone to prove their love and devotion to the one’s that love them.